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2 Passkeys Foundation/The Jefferson Center, a 20-year old organization that has delivered character education curricula to schools nationwide, is launching a new character education program directed at parents called The Finish Line. A combination of a free weekly newsletter, a Web site of materials, a future book, and an online store of character education materials such as childrens books and videos, The Finish Line is lifetime product for parents concerned with their childrens values and character. Situation The Finish Line does not have a marketing budget and has to depend solely on word-of-mouth and viral marketing to grow the audience for The Finish Line newsletter and, through the newsletter, attract parents to the online offerings including the online store. Because its business is concerned largely with outcomes rather than outputs, Passkeys Foundation/Jefferson Center needs to know the best way to proceed to have maximum impact on the parent audience. Complication Is there a way to reach a large audience of parents through a parenting newsletter? What needs do parents have that the structure and themes of The Finish Line newsletter, Web site, and book should foreground to maximize both its impact? Should The Finish Line target parent influencers, such as therapists, teachers, and religious leaders, to maximize impact? Finally, would the publication of a book, The Finish Line, substantially increase the reach of the newsletter/Web site service? Question Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006

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4 Methodology (contd) Academic Research Lawrence Kohlberg, The Psychology of Moral Development George McLean, Psychological Foundations of Moral Education and Character Development Robert Coles, The Moral Intelligence of Children Thomas Lickona, Character Matters: How To Help Our Children Develop Good Judgment, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues Thomas Lickona, Educating for Character: How Our Schools Can Teach Respect & Responsibility Marvin Berkowitz, Melinda Bier, What Works in Character Education Marvin Berkowitz, A Primer for Evaluating a Character Education Initiative Marvin Berkowitz, The Education of the Complete Moral Person Frank Goble, The Case for Character Education CASEL Safe & Sound Schools Program Meta-analysis Education/academic journal articles Interviews with top character/values education researchers: Dr. Thomas Lickona (SUNY Cortland), Dr. Marvin Berkowitz (University of St. Louis) Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006

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6 1 Research hypotheses 2 Interest in a parenting newsletter is correlated with values/character concerns that parents have in regard to their children. Personal familiarity with character education programs will increase parents and parent influencers participation & proliferation potential. Publication of the book, The Finish Line, will greatly increase interest in the newsletter. Parent influencers have a higher proliferation potential than parents. 3 4 Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006

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7 1 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have a high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5

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8 11 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (contd) 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have a high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5

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11 1 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (contd) 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5 Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 2

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14 They are more likely to subscribe if a book has already been published. Source: Web surveys, July 2006 High Proliferators High Proliferators Moderate Proliferators Moderate Proliferators Low Proliferators Low Proliferators 43% 14% 66% 20% 14% 74% 13% YES MAYBE NO

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15 1 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (contd) 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5 Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 3

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18 1 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (contd) 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5 Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 4

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19 There is no significant correlation between parent interest in The Finish Line and having children who have had character education programs... Source: Web surveys, July 2006 Children have had character education Children have had character education 55% 13% 32% YES MAYBE NO Children have not had character education Children have not had character education 63% 25% 12% YES MAYBE NO

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20... and this includes the two most widespread character education programs... Source: Web surveys, July 2006 D.A.R.E. 46% 23% 31% YES MAYBE NO CHARACTER COUNTS! 33% 17% 50% YES MAYBE NO 36 million students/year 6 million students/year

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21... but the exceptions are Positive Coaching and STAR. Source: Web surveys, July 2006 Children have been in Positive Coaching Children have been in Positive Coaching 71% 14.5% YES MAYBE NO Children have been in STAR Children have been in STAR 71% 29% YES MAYBE High parental involvement programs High implementation program

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22 Parent influencers were unfamiliar with character education programs. Source: Telephone interviews, July 2006 Had children in D.A.R.E. Had children in D.A.R.E. 71% 14% 32% YES DONT KNOW NO Had children in other character ed programs Had children in other character ed programs 74% 26% DONT KNOW NO

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23 1 Preliminary conclusions & recommendations (contd) 2 Secondary and academic research shows that the focus should be broader than just reach. Familiarity with character education programs does not increase parent receptiveness; program partnerships may not influence reach. Influencers have high proliferator potential, specifically religious leaders; Passkeys should establish character partnerships with them. Exploratory research shows that there is an interest in the service among both parents and parent influencers. A few key needs among the highest potential audience and proliferators should be explored further or addressed in the product. 3 4 5 Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 5

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26 1 Limitations 2 Sample size limitations for individual categories of parent influencers. Web survey sample was large but offered no opportunities for detailed questions. Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 Influencer survey sample was not random; further research would study a larger, non-random sample. 3 4 Open-ended questions have yet to be coded and correlated with interest and proliferation potential. 5 None of the proportions have been statistically tested for significance.

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27 1 Further research 2 Descriptive, large sample research on parent influencers for a Partners of Character initiative. Research into the parent commitment component of impact. Source: IBEAR Marketing 512 Project, July 2006 Descriptive research on the market potential of individual product offerings in the online store and the buyer potential of newsletter subscribers. Further research into the market potential of the book and its specific influence on driving parents and influencers to the online service. 3 4